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I didn't say Castillo shouldn't be on teh team (he shouldn't be) nor that he shouldn't play. I said he shouldn't be in the tewo-hole. Above, I even stipulate that he's got a decent OBP, so let's stipulate that's okay. Willie doesn't have Castillo in the 2-hole because he has a decent OBP - he has him there because he's a second baseman. If Castillo's OBP were 0.300, he'd *still* be hitting second.

Here's a general rule - your players with OPS+ marks above 110 or so - lots of plate appearances. Players with OPS+ of 100 or less, *fewer* plate appearances.

Some of both. Willie, in the last week or so, had been making much more sensible moves with the bullpen. He was using most of the relievers properly, and letting the SPs get one more inning. But just in the last week. We blew a bunch of games late because players (sort of) underperformed. But they were generally put in a position where they are less successful - not in their strength positions. that's not Omar's fault - it's Willie's.

“Chris, can you give me an example?” Sure, in 2005, Kaz Matsui and Miguel Cairo hit second 96 times. to be fair, Miguel Cairo, who hit second the most, did have a 0.296 OBP, and slugged 0.324. But not in 2006. Willie had Paul LoDuca. Terrific. the other guys hitting second? Matsui (until traded) and Chris Woodward. Again he used LoDuca there in 2007 until about midseason, then turned it over to Jose Valentin (2B), Ruben Gotay (2B) and then Castillo (2B). Yes, Endy Chavez, a career 0.309 OBP, got 20 starts in the second slot.

But the point is, since Willie seems to be willing to use non second basemen in the No. 2 hole, it seems disingenuous to say he's there strictly because he's a second baseman. Obviously, it's not an absolute for him.

I never said he did. He hits them second LOTS and much more than he should.

Given that he's gotten well above average production from his #2 hitters in each of the last two years, it seems strange to criticize his #2 choices. I'd say he's done a better job selecting a #2 hitter than most managers in the league. He may have made the right decision for the wrong reason, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the problem is in the bottom part of the order, not the top.

As Snoop said in The Wire: Deserve got nothing to do with it. It was just his time, that's all.

Willie could have been fired after last season but was given another shot. He needed the Mets to start of well and they didn't. It's not all his fault but it doesn't matter. Sometimes, a change needs to be made simply for change's sake.

But since he doesn't only hit 2nd basemen in the 2-hole, how do you know he doesn't put Luis there becuase of his relatively good OBP?

Because that's never been Willie's pattern of usage. I don't think Willie picked Slappy to hit 2nd because he's a 2Bman or his OBP. I think he picked Slappy - the same reason he picked LoDuca - because they brought "little things" and "can handle a bat" intangibles to the spot. Now what those mythical qualities are, I've never understood, but Willie is certainly not in the minority to fall in love with the light-hitting #2 hitter.

I just looked at the lineups that the Mets used the last two years. What was shocking was how utterly wrong Chris has been in his characterization. When Castillo hasn't batted second the last two years, its usually not been a second baseman. Church has hit second lots of times, followed by Chavez and Pagan. Last year it was Lo Duca, followed by Chavez, Milledge, and Wright. None of them are second basemen

Whatever reason Randolph had for batting Castillo second, it is absolutely clear it is not because he was a second baseman. Unless I am reading baseballreference.com wrong, which I don't think I am.

Willie could have been fired after last season but was given another shot. He needed the Mets to start of well and they didn't. It's not all his fault but it doesn't matter. Sometimes, a change needs to be made simply for change's sake.

Except that's not and should not be the justification for Willie's dismissal. I hate this rewriting that outsiders are putting out there - as if Willie was some bystander to the Mets' poor play.

Willie didn't do anything to help his team. Okay, maybe he brought a level of calmness and classiness to the public microscope, but he didn't manage the game well, he didn't unite the team, he didn't inspire confidence when the team needed it, he didn't develop young players exceptionally well, he didn't breed an unusual comraderie amongst the individuals, he couldn't come up with any clever ideas or tricks, and most of all, he refuse to change even when it was obvious that he wasn't doing it right. Willie is a nice and likeable person, but geez, what did he bring to the table? Why did he deserve to continue managing this squad?

I wish him the best, and I'd be the first to support him replacing Kruk or Phillips on BBTN.

What was shocking was how utterly wrong Chris has been in his characterization. When Castillo hasn't batted second the last two years, its usually not been a second baseman. Church has hit second lots of times, followed by Chavez and Pagan. Last year it was Lo Duca, followed by Chavez, Milledge, and Wright. None of them are second basemen

It was more of a 2005 and 2006 thing, especially 06. Lo Duca hit second the most, and Chavez was second, but after that you had Woodward, Matsui, Valentin, and Hernandez. In 05, Cameron and Matsui were 1st and 3rd in PA in the 2 hole.

Castillo has also started 10 games in the 8 hole this season, particularly when he was struggling. If he hadn't gotten hot, I imagine Willie would have continued hitting him close to the bottom of the order.

Looking at it again, in 2007, it was all over the map. Second hitters included Wright! for 10 games, Green, Beltran, Chavez, Valentin, Easley, Gotay, Lo Duca, and Castillo. For much of the year, he couldn't decide on a second hitter. Still, how anyone could look over the players who have batted second, and concluded that Randolph only or mostly bats second basemen there is beyond me.

Explaining what happened when Jose Reyes put up a fight when asked to leave Tuesday's game with a hamstring injury, manager Jerry Manuel joked: "I told him next time he does that I'm going to get my blade out and cut him. I'm a gangster. You go gangster on me, I'm going to have to get you. You do that again, I'm going to cut you right on the field."

Willie didn't do anything to help his team. Okay, maybe he brought a level of calmness and classiness to the public microscope, but he didn't manage the game well, he didn't unite the team, he didn't inspire confidence when the team needed it, he didn't develop young players exceptionally well, he didn't breed an unusual comraderie amongst the individuals, he couldn't come up with any clever ideas or tricks, and most of all, he refuse to change even when it was obvious that he wasn't doing it right. Willie is a nice and likeable person, but geez, what did he bring to the table? Why did he deserve to continue managing this squad?

B I N G O!

This is the most intelligent assessment of Willie's tenure as I've read in the past year...

he didn't manage the game well, he didn't unite the team, he didn't inspire confidence when the team needed it, he didn't develop young players exceptionally well, he didn't breed an unusual comraderie amongst the individuals, he couldn't come up with any clever ideas or tricks, and most of all, he refuse to change even when it was obvious that he wasn't doing it right.

Dead on.

What bothered me most about Randolph is that I never once got the impression that he could out-manage his opponent. I never saw him as a guy that could innovate, that could make tactical decisions that had the potential to give the other guy a place to make a mistake. The best he could ever seem to do is not make his own mistakes.

Since I got tired of reading all the banter about Willie loving to put a 2B in the 2 hole, chicken/egg...blah blah blahh...I skipped posts 20-50.
I am going to side with the proliferation of the backup middle infielders on the roster as a Minaya problem. Managers may have input, GMs deal with personnel. If Minaya didn't want Abraham Nuñez on the lineup, he shouldn't have called him up.
Getting mad at Willie for this is the equivalent of blaming the GM for having you pitcher not bunt.

What mind? Randoph's a dumbster..so is Baker. Between the two of 'em, don't know why Jose Lopez is still in Seattle. Hackstatic reward 3 years runnin...Stick out, contact, bam! and a 2nd bman! Course Baker's fixated on outfielders.